Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities typically house numerous medical devices or machines for performing medical procedures, scans, or tests on patients, entering information about patients, or otherwise treating patients. The medical devices can include, for example, x-ray machines, ultrasound machines, and other medical imaging devices, electrocardiogram (EKG) machines, blood-draw carts, computer work stations, etc. Some of these machines are portable units, or movable from one location to another using castors or wheels included on the unit. Other machines are stationary units, or fixed to a single location, for example, due to the size, weight, and/or complexity of the machine.
Typically, only authorized healthcare personnel are allowed to operate the medical devices located in a healthcare facility. In some cases, a user may be asked to present valid credentials (such as, e.g., a login and password or an identification card) before operating or otherwise gaining access to a medical device. Security measures may also be taken to protect patient information stored on the medical devices, or medical information obtained using the machines, in accordance with healthcare regulations, such as HIPAA in the United States. However, existing security measures do not adequately control the different types of use that may need access to certain persons for a given medical device, the tasks specifically associated with each type of user, or verification of the training and other qualifications that may be required to perform each task. As a result, some users may be given more access than necessary or appropriate.
For example, service persons may be given full access to a medical device when performing repairs or maintenance. However, such users may only require access to the physical components of the medical device and/or any error logs stored on the device, and should not be given access to any private patient information stored on the device. Similarly, clinical healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, and patient care technicians, may be given full access to a medical device when performing procedures or providing patient care, but limited or prohibited access to functions reserved for service persons. Further, clinical users do not need access to certain administrative or maintenance features of the device, such as, e.g., event logs and error logs, and not all of the clinical workers of a particular facility may have the training or authorization to operate a particular use of the medical device. As yet another example, portable medical devices may be equipped with security measures, such as lockable wheels or padlocks for securing the device to one location when not in use, to prevent removal by unauthorized users, as an anti-theft measure and to assure the location of the equipment is as intended, ready for use when needed. In some cases, unlocking the anti-theft security measures also unlocks the operational features of the medical device. However, some non-clinical workers, such as equipment transport personnel and janitorial staff, only need the ability to move the medical device from one location to another, and should not have access to the operational or other functions of the medical device.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for techniques that can tailor the access privileges for each authorized user of a medical device to match the user's qualifications, job description, and/or other marker for selecting an appropriate level of access to the device.